They killed it, their cuddly little mascot and then their stock crashed. It was just last month the language app duolingo did something completely insane they killed off duo - their green owl mascot, they posted a cctv footage of tesla cyber truck hitting duo and killing it. Why would a company murder their beloved mascot? Duo wasn't just a mascot it has been for long a digital companion virtual family member, its death struck an emotional chord. The internet exploded 31 million views on just the death announcement. Pop star Dua Lipa tweeted - Till death duo apart. Netflix and assassin creeds also posted tributes, memes spread like wildfire Then came the bad news duolingo stock immediately plummeted investors panicked. What happened next shocked everyone. In the following weeks Duolingo shares skyrocketed adding $2 Billion to their market cap. So what marketing lesson we learn in this age of online marketing, from this viral sensation. Emotional connections are most important people genuinely mourned a cartoon owl. The unexpected grabs the attention, no one saw this coming. Absurdity plus humor is equal to shareability. A mascot hit by a cybertruck. Pure internet gold. Cultural relevance matters, this tapped into the meme culture so perfectly. Sometime short term panic leads to long term gains. The biggest lesson Taking calculated risk can transform your brand overnight. The question for you is - if you had brand mascot would you have had the courage to kill it? Give me the answer in replies below and do share this little one with your friends.
Download the medial app to read full posts, comements and news.